Electric meter



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.. E. W. RICE, Jr.

ELECTRIC METER. No. 451,520 Patented May 5, 1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. W. RICE, Jr.

ELEOTRIG METER.

No. 451,520. Patented May 5, 1891.

(gm/vented wi/f vwooeo 1 Edwin W276i Ezra Jr.

- h an 33-h? L Q W.

No Model.) s Sheets-Sht 3.

E. W. RICE, Jr.

ELECTRIC METER.

No. 451,520. Patented May 5, 1891.

amwmtoz' Edwin Wz' Zlur lice Jr.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries;

ELECTRIC- METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,520, dated May 5,1891.

Application filed March 8, 1889. Serial No. 302,542 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN WILBUR RIoE, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a certainnew and useful Electric Meter, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to electric meters or instruments formeasuring the amount of electric current conducted to a translatingdevice of any character.

The meter of myinvention is applicable to circuits through which flowelectric currents of any character, such as continuous, alternating, orintermittent.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and accurate measuringapparatus which will, when introduced in the path of the electriccurrent, indicate the quantity of current passing to the work, and atthe same time one which shall be simple in construction and economicalto manufacture and not liable to get out of order when placed in thehands of unskilled persons.

In carrying out my invention I employ the heating effect of an electriccurrent to heat a pair of expansible bars or pieces which are properlymounted, so that neither shall be heated by radiation or conduction fromthe other and combine jVlllll the same suitable switching devices,whereby each may be heated in turn, the movement of expansion producedalternately in said bars being 6111- ployed to actuate or control in anysuitable way a registry or recording device directly or indirectly. Thebars may, for instance, control a registering or recording mechanism0perated by power derived from some other source than the heatgenerated, such as clockwork, or may bring into action power derivedfrom an electric current.

Each expansible bar may be made in various ways and still will fulfillthe purpose of my invention. It may be made of a single piece of metalor other expansible substance acting on a lever; or each may be acompound bar consisting of two pieces having different coefficients ofexpansion by heat; or other substance than metal may be employed toreplace it; and assuming a compound bar as used fastened together alongtheir length, then when one end of such compound bar is fastened rigidlyto a support, the other end will move back and forth and maintain aposition dependent upon the relative expansion of the pieces forming thecompound bar at any given temperature. Each compound bar so constructedmay be heated by an electric current passing through the same or by heatfrom. an electric conductor adjacent to or in proximity to the same.

In order that the instrument may not be affected by changes in externaltemperature, which might introduce errors into the registry, I proposeto combine with each expansible bar a suitable compensator bar or' piecemechanically connected thereto, but mounted separately therefrom, so asnot to be heated by radiation or conduction therefrom, saidcompensator-bar being arranged to expand under the influence ofatmospheric changes of temperature in a direction opposite to that inwhich the bar to which it is connected tends to move by the samechanges.

Then two separate bars are employed for operating the register inaccordance with my invention, each may act as the compensator for theother, they being arranged and connected to pull against one anotherunder the influence of heat. This will not interfere with theiroperation in regulating or measuring the electric current, because theyare heated alternately by the influence of the current, such alternateheating being brought about by suitable switch mechanism controlled oroperated by them.

In carrying out this part of my invention I prefer to use two compoundbars placed a short distance apart, but joined together and so arrangedthat the eifect of external temperature upon one bar is opposed orneutralized by its effect upon the other bar. I use by preference twoexpansible bars or pieces, because by heating first one and then theother the current is always being measured, insuring greater accuracy.To carry out this feature of my invention I cause the electric currentto pass by suitable switches through or near first one bar and then theother, so that while one is being heated the other is losing its heat,until a determinate movement has occurred, when a change is madeautomatically in switching arrangements provided for the purpose,whereby the current is directed through a new path and heats thatcompound bar which has just previously been cooling. The action is thenrepeated, resulting in a toand-fro movement of the bars, which movementmay be utilized by any suitable meanssuch as clock-work n1echanism-toindicate the number of oscillations, and therefore the current flowingto the work. It is well known that the heating effect of an electriccurrent passing through a conductor varies as the square of the current;but I find that by cmploying two compound bars in the manner describedabove a compensation is effected, so that the oscillations withincertain limits vary not as the square of the current, butproportionately to the current.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a formof meter embodying my invention and a diagram illustrating themanner ofapplication of the same to an electric circuit. Fig. 2 illustrates amodification in the manner of heating the expansible bars or rods by theelectric current. Fig. 3 is an end view of the meter mechanism. Fig. iillustrates a modification in the manner of operating or controlling astepby-step register from the movements of: the expansible bars orpieces.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1 the bars or rods areheated by an electric current circulating in a conductor placed aroundthem. Two such bars II II are indicated, each consisting of two piecesof expansible material C 0', having different rates or coefficients ofexpansion. The pieces 0 O aresecured together bysuitable bolts after themanner well understood in theart of making metallic thermostats orthermometers from compound metal bars. The compound bars II II aresuitably secured at one end to posts I I fastened to a base-plate Theiropposite or free ends are adapted to move backward and forward when,through the effects of heat upon the bars, such free ends are caused toflex or bend to one side.

\V W indicate coils of wire or other suitable forms of conductor appliedto the bars or rods and forming the path of an electric current, whichin passing through said conductors heats the same, thereby causing theexpansible bars or rods to be heated. The bars II II are connected by arigid piece B and the relative position of the two different portions 0C of the bars is reversed in them, as shown, so that, taking, forinstance, the case of the bar II, the tendency of the same to expandunder the action of external heat will be opposed by the counter forceof the of external temperature, affecting them both simultaneously.

The heating-conductors W \V act externally, being for this purposeintroduced alternately into the electric circuit by means of a properswitch actuated or controlled by the movements of the bars themselves. Aform of switch suitable for this purpose consists of a rocking lever 0,having a depending fork, as indicated, engaged by a pin 1), projeetingfrom cross-bar 13 The rockinglever carries contacts on n, which togetherare connected to one pole of a circuit, as indicated, and are adapted todip alternately into mercury-cups M M. The latter connect, respectively, with the coils W W, and the opposite terminals of the coilsconnect by wires (1, b with the opposite pole of the circuit.

The operation of the devices as far as described is as follows: In theposition of the parts shown the circuit is closed by way of wire a,through conductor \V, switch M n, and out. Current passing through thecoil W heats the same, which heat, being communicated to the compoundbar II, causes it to expand or flex, and this flexure or expansion beingcommunicated by the devices described or by any other suitable devicesmoves the lever O in a direction to finally rupture the connection atl\[' for the wire \V', and at the same time or immediately thereafter toestablish a connection through the portion of the switch M, so that thecurrent may now How by wire Z) through the conductor \V. The heatdeveloped in the latter conductor now causes the bar II to flex and toreverse the movement of the parts, such movement eontinuing until theposition of the switch is reversed and the current shifted to the otherheating-conductor \V.

The devices described maybe connected in electric circuits of any kindcarrying current which is the whole or a part of the current flowing tothe translating devices, the consumption of current in which is to bemeasured, or may be connected into any other circuit in which currentflows or is made to flow in accordance with the variations ofconsumption of current.

In the diagram Fig. 1 the simplest way of applying the device tomeasuring electric currents is indicated. Electric conductors or mains mn connect, respectively, to wires a e, the latter of which conveyscurrent to a number of translating devices, such as electric lamps,(indicated at L L,) to the wire 6,

from which latter the current divides by wire a or 1), according to thecondition of the electric switch, While a connects to the switch-1e ver0, or to the contact governed thereby. The obvious effect is that thecurrent circulating from one main m to the other main n iiicludes boththe translating devices and the electric meter, and will flow in amountproportional to the amount consumed in the translating devices.

' cording device.

A tally or record of the number of movements of the expansible bars orrods may be kept by means of any registering mechanismsuch, forinstance, as a train of wheels, indicated at D-a movement of which maybe produced at each alternate movement of the bars through the action ofan impellingpawl or other device carried by an arm a, which is connectedto the rocking switch-lever 0.

Instead of depending upon the powerof the bars when expanded to operatethe lever, the movement of such bars may bring into action another forceto operate the registering or re- One way of doing this would be toemploy an clectro-magnet operated by an electric current, the flow ofwhich should correspond in its intervals or amount to the movements ofthe bars.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the current for operating the magnet might bethat which circulates through the heating-coils IV IV. In this figure Eindicates such an electro-magnet, which magnet operates upon the pawlwhich actuates the register D. In this instance the circuit through themeter is supposed to be interrupted for an instant as the switch-lever 0changes its position, such interruption occurring in the intervalbetween the rupture of circuit at one contact and the making of thecircuit at the other contact. By this means at each movement of theswitch the electro-magnet will lose its power and will then be excitedagain, each reverse movement, when the magnet loses its power, movingthe first wheel of the register D one step.

In Fig.4 Ihave shown the meter as excited by the current developed byinduction from the main or prime current,which flows through thetranslating devices. For this purpose the wires 6 e are simply connectedto the secondary S of an induction-coil, the primary of which P is inthe circuit with the translating devices. The currents in the circuit ofthe translating devices are in this instance supposed to be alternatingcurrents. The electro-m agnet E may be of any desired form, or of a formespecially adapted to respond to alternating currents. If the electricswitch be so arranged as to not interrupt the circuit at the time itchanges to shift the current from one heater to the other, an operationof the electro-magnet might be obtained by including it, as indicated bydotted lines, in one of the branches including the heater, so that suchmagnet will operate at every other oscillation of the switch or theexpansible bars or conductors.

I do not limit myself to any particular construction of switchmechanism, nor to any particular means for bringing such switch intooperation, and there are many devices heretofore employed which willreadily suggest themselves to electricians as suitable for throwing thecurrents successively through the portions of the circuit which are tobe heated by current, and to thereby cause an expansion of the bars orrods. It is also obvious that the switch mechanism might be controlledor actuated by other special devices, instead of by intermediatemechanical connections between the expansible bars and said switch.

I have shown in Fig. 2 another way in which the electric current mightbe made to heat the expansible bars or rods. In this instance thecurrent is earried directly through such rods or bars, and theresistance of the material of which the rods or bars are composed causesthe development of heat and the consequent expansion of such parts.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electric meter, thecombination, with two expansible rods, bars, or pieces separated, asdescribed, so that neither shall be heated by conduction or radiationfrom the other, of two circuits or branches of circuits formed in thepath of heating-currents for developing a heat to expand the same, andswitch mechanism and connections for throwing the currents successivelythrough such circuits, as and for the purpose described.

2. An electric meter having a controlling or actuating mechanismconsisting of an expansible rod or bar heated when expanded by the infiuence of an electric current and a compensating rod or bar attached tothe same, but separately mounted or supported, so as not to be heated byconduction or radiation therefrom and adapted to-act in opposition tothe first when both are heated at the same time.

3. The combination, with two separated expansible rods or bars, eachcomposed of two pieces of metal having different rates or coefficientsof expansion, of two electric circuits forming the path of currents inwhich heat is developed for causing an expansion of said barsalternately, and an electric switch mechanically connected with the saidbars for throwing the current successively or alternately through saidcircuits, as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with two compound bars or rods mechanicallyconnected and arranged to expand or bend in opposite directions underthe influence of heat, of two electric coils or conductors surroundingsuch bars and placed in independent circuits or branches, and switchmechanism and connections for throwing the said conductors alternatelyinto circuit with a source of cun rents, as and for the purposedescribed.

Signed at Lynn,in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, this4th day of March,

A. D. 1889. I

EDWIN \VILBUR RICE, JR. 'Witnesses:

WM. J. I-IALL,

J. W. GIBBoNEv.

